President Piñera highlights measures for senior citizens: 50% gradual increase in pensions, 50% reduction in public transportation costs and more funds for primary health care
The President and First Lady shared the news with pensioners at nonprofit Fundación Las Rosas, emphasizing, “we are going to make a huge effort to significantly reduce the cost of medications.” This is among the things most demanded by Chile’s pensioners.
President Sebastián Piñera highlighted this Thursday the progress made between the Government and the Senate to raise pensions, lower public transportation fares for senior citizens and increase spending on primary health care.
“It is a great relief, a big help, and an act of justice for our senior citizens,” said the President, accompanied by First Lady Cecilia Morel, after visiting a citizen dialogue at Fundación Las Rosas in the Independencia district of Santiago.
The President highlighted the 50% increase in the Basic Solidarity Pension (Pensión Básica Solidaria, PBS) and the Maximum Pension with Solidarity Contribution (Pensión Máxima con Aporte Solidario, PMAS), as of January 2020, for beneficiaries over 80 years old.
For pensioners aged between 75 and 79, both types of pension will increase by 30% in January 2020 and reach a cumulative increase of 50% in January 2021. Pensioners under 75 years old will receive a 25% increase in January 2020, 40% in 2021, achieving a cumulative increase of 50% in January 2022.
The President also highlighted that the Government has pledged to reduce public transport fares by 50% for pensioners over 65.Agreement has also been reached to increase the funding of Primary Health Care (Atención Primaria de Salud, APS) - the money that the State provides to municipal outpatient clinics - from 6,722 to 7,200 Chilean pesos per person, whch implies a real increase of 11% over the amount for 2019.
“This means that Primary Health Care, which is the first line in health care, will have more resources and will be able to offer a better quality, more dignified and prompter service,” said the President, adding, “we are going to make a huge effort to significantly reduce the cost of medications.”
The President also highlighted the agreements achieved between the Government and the opposition to move forward towards Peace, Social Justice and a New Constitution.
“These are times of unity, dialogue and agreements, and not of confrontation or violence,” emphasized the President.
First Lady Cecilia Morel also shared a message welcoming the measures that will benefit pensioners: “Today is a day of hope, of light, for Chile. This is more than just help; it is an act of justice towards senior citizens. What elderly adults most asked from us was to improve pensions and lower the costs of public transport and medications. Today we took an enormous leap forward, but there is still much to be done and that is what we will continue to work on, to make Chile a fairer country for all.”